Progressive neonatal airway obstruction secondary to cervical thymic cyst.
Cervical thymic cysts are extremely unusual neoplasms that only rarely produce signs and symptoms of upper airway tract compromise. Less than 7% of patients initially have dyspnea or hoarseness. We report the first known case of progressive neonatal airway obstruction secondary to a rapidly enlarging cervical thymic cyst. Because one half of these benign tumors may demonstrate mediastinal extension, computed axial tomography or B-mode ultrasonography or both is recommended prior to surgical excision. Review of the literature confirms that the majority are successfully removed via a transcervical approach without recurrence.
D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology*; D003560:Cysts / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009333:Neck; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000196:embryology; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital*